Shoulder epaulets have been used for many years, particularly to carry insignia on uniforms. It is common practice to employ a stiffening member within an epaulet to make it rigid and thereby prevent buckling and wrinkling of the epaulet which would detract from its appearance. For this purpose, treated cloth or plastic stiffening sheets have been used. However, such stiffeners cause discomfort to the wearer.
In addition, such stiffening elements are usually incorporated directly into the epaulet and either are not removable or are difficult to remove when the garment or the epaulet or loss of stiffening by the stiffening member.